The present invention relates to a system for allowing a user to control a piece of consumer electronics equipment to process a television program currently being received, or the current and subsequent television programs, in some manner with a single step.
For one example, current VCRs provide a scheduling mechanism for advance scheduling by the user. Using this mechanism, a user is able to program the VCR to start recording a user specified channel on a specified date from a specified start time to a specified stop time. Further enhancements allow a user to program the VCR to record in this manner every day and/or every week day. However, use of this mechanism is complicated, requiring that the user perform many steps. Attempts have been made to simplify this procedure by assigning programs predetermined code numbers, and allowing a user to program the VCR to record that program by entering that code number. In either case, the user must manually pre-program the VCR using information derived from external sources, such as a published TV schedules.
Current television distribution systems can provide not only the television program information, but also program schedule information. For example, it has been proposed to include schedule information as part of the extended data service (XDS) information placed in the vertical blanking interval (VBI) of a television signal, or in the overscan portion of each horizontal scan line. Also, current satellite television distribution systems include, in addition to television programs, separate data streams containing schedule information, such as, for example, the DSS or Starsight Program Guides. (See brochure xe2x80x9cIf television is the ultimate escape vehiclexe2x80x9d, copyrighted 1994 by Starsight Telecast, Inc.) It has been proposed to use such schedule information to schedule a VCR in advance to record a desired program. Using this mechanism, a user peruses the transmitted schedule information and selects programs to be recorded. When a program has been selected, the channel and actual starting and ending times for the desired program are extracted from the transmitted scheduling information, and the VCR automatically programmed to record that program.
Some current VCRs also provide a user a simplified method for recording a channel currently being received. In such VCRs a pushbutton switch is provided on the front panel of the VCR, and/or on the remote control for the VCR, which, if pushed, automatically starts the VCR recording. In some such VCRs, if such a button is pressed once, the VCR will begin recording and will continue to record until the tape in the cassette runs out. If the button is pressed twice, the VCR is automatically set to record for 30 minutes then stop. If the button is pressed three times, the VCR is automatically set to record for 60 minutes, then stop; if pressed four times, 90 minutes; if five, 120 minutes, and so on. This feature has been termed xe2x80x9cexpress record.xe2x80x9d
The express record feature is useful, but limited. For example, a user is usually more interested in recording the television program currently being received, or the current and the next program or succeeding programs, etc., than recording for a selected amount of time. Further, the user may not know at the time he is initiating the express recording procedure just how much time is remaining in the current program, or the time when a subsequent program will end. If the user sets the VCR to record for less time than remaining in the program or programs, the end of the last program will not be recorded. If the user sets the VCR to record longer, e.g. until the tape is used up, it will most likely record much more than needed. A simplified procedure for recording a program currently being received, or the current and following programs, is desirable.
Such a system would be desirable for scheduling VCRs, and also other signal processing apparatus. For example, turning off television signal display devices or satellite receivers at the end of a program or series of program (as for sleep turn-off functions); locking out a television program or series of programs (as for a child-lockout); or performing similar operations for other such devices.
In accordance with principles of the present invention, a scheduling system for controlling apparatus processing a signal representing a television program comprises a source of schedule data comprising at least data representing the time remaining in a television program. Television signal processing apparatus selectively processes the television program representative signal in response to a control signal. A control circuit generates the control signal to condition the processing apparatus to begin processing the television program signal in response to a user control signal, and to stop processing the television program signal when the time remaining in the television program has elapsed, in response to the program schedule data.